Grand Villa in March: a pipe dream?

[pditullio]

We’re hoping to make a reservation for a GV at BLT or CC in a few days when our window opens, but I’ve been watching the availability disappear with the rolling window every day. Am I being unrealistic that this is going to happen?

Further irony, one of our contracts is at BLT but only enough points for one night so that doesn’t really help get us there. Wish me luck…

 

[Stargazer65]

We’re hoping to make a reservation for a GV at BLT or CC in a few days when our window opens, but I’ve been watching the availability disappear with the rolling window every day. Am I being unrealistic that this is going to happen?

Further irony, one of our contracts is at BLT but only enough points for one night so that doesn’t really help get us there. Wish me luck…

Can you walk the reservation?

 

[pditullio]

I’ve been thinking about walking but am worried about losing my backup (a 2BR + studio at OKW, where most of our points are) bc I’d need to free up the points.

I’ve heard walking at 7 mos is risky bc another owner can jump in front at any time?

We want a GV starting on 11th or 12th for 9 nights (yes I know it has to start with 7 at first). I have enough BLT points for 1 night at a GV and the rest of my contracts are OKW.

If someone with experience walking has a strategy for me please share! Or any other tips for how to make this happen with my point situation…

 

[cellomom]

Wishing you luck

 

[Stargazer65]

If someone with experience walking has a strategy for me please share! Or any other tips for how to make this happen with my point situation…

Unfortunately I've never actually done it myself either, because the places I typically book aren't that tight at 7 months.

Good luck!

 

[Marionnette]

If someone with experience walking has a strategy for me please share! Or any other tips for how to make this happen with my point situation…

You need enough points to book at least 2 nights in order to walk a reservation. Having enough free points for just one night won't cut it.

My advice would have been to book the BLT GV for the first night right now with the BLT points you have and then modify it to add the nights with your OKW points.

But you're now inside your 7 month window for March 10 (which would have been the first day of a walk). Modify your OKW reservation to go from 3/10-3/17 if you can. Book the night of 3/17-3/18 with your BLT points. That gives you 8 nights (one night short) but it starts a day too early.

Tomorrow, if 3/17-18 is still open, modify the first reservation to 3/11-3/18. Modify the 3/17-3/18 reservation, which used BLT points, to 3/18-3/19. You now have 8 nights but at least they start on the correct day.

Repeat the next day by modifying the 3/11-3/18 reservation to add another night (if available) so that it becomes 3/11-3/19. Modify the 3/18-3/19 to 3/19-3/20. You now have all of your nights in 2 reservations.

Then, have MS either merge or link the reservations so that you don't need to move.

The risk is that it's possible that there is only one GV in inventory and when you grab it with your BLT points, none will be available for you to walk the reservation made with the OKW points points.

 

[drusba]

CCV does not actually appear to have the issue you mention. It is currently showing a GV open for all days from March 5 to end of March. BLT, however, has issues. and it is anyone's guess as to whether it will improve. Other options that appear to have easy GV availability are Kidani, SSR and Riviera.

 

[pditullio]

You need enough points to book at least 2 nights in order to walk a reservation. Having enough free points for just one night won't cut it.

My advice would have been to book the BLT GV for the first night right now with the BLT points you have and then modify it to add the nights with your OKW points.

But you're now inside your 7 month window for March 10 (which would have been the first day of a walk). Modify your OKW reservation to go from 3/10-3/17 if you can. Book the night of 3/17-3/18 with your BLT points. That gives you 8 nights (one night short) but it starts a day too early.

Tomorrow, if 3/17-18 is still open, modify the first reservation to 3/11-3/18. Modify the 3/17-3/18 reservation, which used BLT points, to 3/18-3/19. You now have 8 nights but at least they start on the correct day.

Repeat the next day by modifying the 3/11-3/18 reservation to add another night (if available) so that it becomes 3/11-3/19. Modify the 3/18-3/19 to 3/19-3/20. You now have all of your nights in 2 reservations.

Then, have MS either merge or link the reservations so that you don't need to move.

The risk is that it's possible that there is only one GV in inventory and when you grab it with your BLT points, none will be available for you to walk the reservation made with the OKW points points.

So I ended up doing something sort of similar to this. I modified my OKW reservation and moved it to BLT for the 10th to the 17th, and then used my BLT pts to book the 17th. Tomorrow I will go in and modify the first res to the 11th to the 18th, and the second one from the 17th to the 18th. Then on Friday I will add a day to the second one and call to have them link the two reservations.
Worst case if I go in tomorrow and there’s not availability after the 18th we’ll keep the 10th-18th, which is not preferred but we could do it if we had to.

 

[pditullio]

CCV does not actually appear to have the issue you mention. It is currently showing a GV open for all days from March 5 to end of March. BLT, however, has issues. and it is anyone's guess as to whether it will improve. Other options that appear to have easy GV availability are Kidani, SSR and Riviera.

BLT grand villa still open right now.

 

[pditullio]

So I ended up doing something sort of similar to this. I modified my OKW reservation and moved it to BLT for the 10th to the 17th, and then used my BLT pts to book the 17th. Tomorrow I will go in and modify the first res to the 11th to the 18th, and the second one from the 17th to the 18th. Then on Friday I will add a day to the second one and call to have them link the two reservations.
Worst case if I go in tomorrow and there’s not availability after the 18th we’ll keep the 10th-18th, which is not preferred but we could do it if we had to.

I just realized I did pretty much what you were suggesting - I read it wrong and thought it was a bit different than what I was doing but yes - this is how I went about it - thanks for helping me brainstorm! Fingers crossed for extra days at the end…